Step 6: Detach yourself from your pay check.

I have been looking forward to write more around this topic. As a part of my 12 easy steps to become a great employee, this might be the hardest to realize. But if you manage you might be able to enjoy work in a way you cannot imagine.

The difference between the two!
In this matter there are two kinds of humans. Those that do think their salary is to low and sit back and wait for a rise. And the kind that stands up, do a great job and get a pay rise. I witness it all over, in all kinds of jobs I have ever had, money corrupts the employees. If you focus on your pay check and money you’ll soon end up depressed because you might not earn as much as you please. You might talk to a co-worker about your salary resulting in one of two things; either you get depressed as (s)he makes more money than you or your co-worker will be blue if you are the one making more money. I believe that equal pay is unfair for everybody, and I do believe in rewarding individually. So if you make less money than a co-worker, do not run to your boss with it and cry unfair, work harder.

But I cannot make ends meet!
Sure, this is a valid argument. If you cannot make ends meet, there is two solutions, make more money or cut down on expenses. You must find your balance. How much money do you really need to keep the wheels turning? If you have found your minimum and you still make too little money, ask for a rise or find another job. I know that this is not so easy in a lot of countries struggling with poverty and unemployment. Unfortunately that is still an issue around the world. But if a lot more people shared my philosophy things might get done about it. I have found out that I need to make $ x per month. If I have one dollar in profit during one month of income and expenses, I am happy. That means I’ve got a dollar to spare. Once you pass this point, the pay check is no longer an object. If your old TV still works, you do not need to buy a new one. That is luxury spending, and might be the ogre that creates a burning pay check in your pocket. My current TV is nine years old. I had my last computer for eight years. My cell phone seemed to be inherited from my great grandfather according to people around me. I do not own a car, as I do not need one. I have a bike, and it works just fine. No I am not a cheapskate, if I have extra money I would love to share with others, and I love to buy gifts for others. I am not a rider of a high moral horse either; if I do get my hands on extra money I might as well spend them on new gadgets or clothes to myself. But the extra luxury is not necessary for me to live a fulfilling life.

Money is jail, the freedom is personal development.
As soon as you find yourself above the x point things should change. Some want more and more chasing paper produced by mankind, stuff that you can easily lose. I am so lucky to be above x, I do not make a lot of money at my job, and I know that I could easily find a job that pays $15-17.000 more per year. But I love my job and I have fun doing it. The extra money is not necessary for me to live my life, and I do not want to chase that rat. Once you pass x, you must try to find out if you love your job in the first place. If you do, you might start to evolve and be even more productive. Start working with goals and try to expand your knowledge about your field of expertise.

“The real measure of your wealth is how much you’d be worth if you lost all your money.” – Unkown.

Chase wisdom and knowledge!
Educate yourself, that does not necessary mean going back to school, but learn something new. The more you know, the more you will be worth. Henry Ford launched a social reward pay system at his company, increasing basic wage for people that had the same values that he cherished. He raised the pay from $2.34 to $5 for qualified employees, reducing employee turnover dramatically. But this pay only came to the ones that qualified for this pay according to his standards. He then expected 100 % efforts in return. It was not only working related factors that were qualifiers, but also how you lived your life. It was considered an intrusion of privacy, but it does reflect what a manager look for.

Standing on the ladder.
If you have ambitions about becoming a leader, and you currently work on the floor, what do you need to do to take the next step up the ladder? You need to learn about managing, motivation, coaching, budgeting and organization. Start getting good on these topics right away, do not sit around and wait until you finally need them. All things might disappear, nothing is for certain. But there is one thing I know, knowledge stays around no matter what’s happening around you.

Summary.
Find your x-point.
If you have a job that you love, make sure you are above x.
If you are above x, make sure that you have fun at work.
Read and learn. Take classes and make your brain attractive.
Do not produce less if you are unhappy with your salary, produce more and learn more.

Challenge November.
My wife and I agree on a project. We are going to challenge November expenses to see how low our x-point can go. That means no luxury objects, no luxury food, cut back on the electricity and buy cheap dinners/food for an entire month. It will give us a perspective.

“Wealth is the product of man’s capacity to think.” – Ayn Rand

If you want knowledge and wisdom, and work hard for it, you will be rewarded with money. But if you just want more money, you need to be in a great deal of luck, or you will be rewarded with bitterness and anger.

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Hi, my name is Frode Heimen

Thank you for reading my blog, I really hope you will enjoy my content. I am a Norwegian Customer Service Expert with a passion for leadership, motivation and business in general. I have 20 years of first hand in the office trenches experience. My writing and sharing started back in 2007 for your amusement, learning and entertainment. In return I hope to be challenged and I love good discussions. I currently work as a CEO selling software solutions to veterinarians in Norway.